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The great American road trip. There is perhaps no more idyllic way to spend a summer than packing the whole family in the car and setting forth for the great unknown, crisscrossing the country along thousands of miles of smooth asphalt highways and washboard dirt roads. Baseball games. Picnics. National parks. Beaches. Roadside oddities. All that’s required is a couple of weeks away from the office and the right car.
If the classic family station wagon, four-door sedan or minivan is due for replacement, you may want to consider a new or used car that is suited to long hours on the open road. When it comes to road-trip vehicles, there’s a little something for everyone so do your research on a trusted car-valuation site like Kelley Blue Book then run down to your local dealership, pick up the keys and start heading west – or east, north or south!
Here are the top five road trip vehicles:
Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen
The Jetta SportWagen offers everything that you could want in a family car: it is fun to drive, incredibly practical, stylish, accommodating and with an available TDI clean-burning diesel engine, incredibly efficient as well. You’ll see a trend with this list, and that is the inclusion of multiple wagons and crossover SUVs. Why? Well, because they offer the ultimate in practicality and usability. The Jetta SportWagen gives up nothing in terms of performance over its sedan sibling, yet can swallow loads of cargo (such as luggage, a dog, or your kids’ collection of athletic equipment and video games). It’s just the smarter choice.
Honda CR-V
The Honda CR-V is the ultimate small crossover. Though designed more for on-road antics than off-road adventures, that’s okay. The CR-V has all of the interior space that a small family of four or five might need, yet its packaging allows it to drive, handle and maneuver like a car. Parallel parking a CR-V is no harder than that of a compact sedan. Perhaps best of all, the seating position is upright and the windows are large, allowing for terrific sight lines in every direction. In terms of efficiency? How does 31hwy MPG sound?
Volvo V60
When people think of station wagons, one name immediately comes to mind: Volvo. While the manufacturer’s ethos of “boxy is beautiful” might have resulted in some wonderfully quirky cars during the 80s and 90s, the new Volvo is dripping in Swedish style, with sensuous curves and sophisticated lines. For the family who buys their groceries at Whole Foods and their furniture at IKEA, there can be no other option than the V60 Sportwagon. And they won’t be disappointed: the car has the most available horsepower on this list, for effortless acceleration, yet still delivers up to 37mpg.
Jeep Cherokee
All new and redesigned from the ground up, the 2015 Jeep Cherokee is nothing like the model it replaces. It has been designed to be more comfortable, practical, accommodating, and efficient, resulting in a car that is better suited to everyday tasks while giving up little in terms of outright off-road performance – after all, the new Cherokee is still available with no less than three different 4WD configurations. What’s really impressive, however, is the improvements in refinement and efficiency. With an available TigerShark engine and 9-speed automatic transmission, this Jeep is one that gets up to 31mpg! Jeep and fuel economy are no longer mutually exclusive.
Subaru Outback
If the Volvo V60 is for families who shop at IKEA, the Subaru Outback is for families who shop at REI. This is the car for kayakers, hikers, mountaineers, skiers and surfers. Which means, of course, that it’s the perfect companion for a trip across the beautiful, ever-changing landscape of the continental United States. Put the kids in the back seat, the mountain bikes on the roof and speak “Rocky Mountains” into the car’s voice-activated GPS navigation system. With these essentials out of the way, the rest of your adventure will write itself and with the Subaru’s legendary Boxer engine, you’ll be returning up to 33mpg along the way.
Jennifer Thayer is a technology writer from Southern California who loves finding ways technology can make life easier. She enjoys sharing her tips and tricks with readers. Follow her on Twitter.